Sophie was 37 when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Recovered but with a heavy dose of heartache, she had a choice to make: return to the legal career she had spent years building or follow her passion into the fires of the kitchen.With humour, grit, and inspiring zest, Sophie Archer reveals how her strength grew to fuel her culinary dreams - all the way to MasterChef: The Professionals. This is a story that will ignite your own ambitions and leave you hungry for possibility. New episodes of The Wobble Middle, released fortnightly. For additional insights, read The Wobbly Middle on Substack. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook @thewobblymiddle.If you are in the wobbly middle of your career, please share your story with us via our socials or email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear what’s on your mind - and if you're out the other side, please let us know how you got there!(00:00) - From Courtroom to Chef’s Kitchen: A Feast of Grit and Glory (02:17) - Introducing Sophie Archer (06:26) - The Shift from Law to the Culinary Arts (12:16) - Building a New Career (18:03) - The Kitchen of Dreams (27:43) - Reflections and Future Plans (28:52) - Sophie's MasterChef Experience (30:11) - How to Cook a Gremlin Podcast (31:34) - Conclusion and Farewell About the hosts:Susannah de Jager is podcasting in Oxford, consulting to start-ups and occasionally advising on scale-up capital having left her role as CEO of a boutique asset manager and asked "what next?”. Oh, and she’s moving country with her husband and two young children. To say that she’s in The Wobbly Middle would be an understatement. This podcast is for her and for all those like herPatsy Day is a lawyer on a break. As an intellectual property specialist, she has worked on everything from anti-counterfeiting to publishing and from London to Ho Chi Minh City and back again. Patsy lives in Oxford and is currently immersed in podcasts producing SafeHouse Amsterdam (out 2025) and co-hosting, The Wobbly Middle.

Midwife Nina Van Schaick had a calling, drawn to the raw, intimate moments of bringing life into the world. But she couldn’t ignore the unspoken agony she witnessed: 90% of women still endure tearing during childbirth.In a world where only 1% of pharma R&D goes toward maternal health, Nina realised she’d have to fix it herself. Now, her gloves are off. Nina has created a groundbreaking solution to tackle perineal tearing and taking her delivery room grit to the boardrooms that have long overlooked women’s health. This is her journey from midwife to FemTech pioneer. (00:00) - Introduction to The Wobbly Middle (03:08) - Nina's Journey into Midwifery (05:39) - The Emotional Spectrum of Midwifery (08:04) - Challenges and Changes in Midwifery (12:11) - Innovating with PeriPear (20:00) - Empowering Women in Midlife New episodes of The Wobble Middle are released fortnightly. For additional insights, read The Wobbly Middle on Substack. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook @thewobblymiddle.If you are in the wobbly middle of your career, please share your story with us via our socials or email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear what’s on your mind - and if you're out the other side, please let us know how you got there!About the hosts:Susannah de Jager is podcasting in Oxford, consulting to start-ups and occasionally advising on scale-up capital having left her role as CEO of a boutique asset manager and asked "what next?”. Oh, and she’s moving country with her husband and two young children. To say that she’s in The Wobbly Middle would be an understatement. This podcast is for her and for all those like her.Patsy Day is a lawyer on a break. As an intellectual property specialist, she has worked on everything from anti-counterfeiting to publishing and from London to Ho Chi Minh City and back again. Patsy lives in Oxford and is currently immersed in podcasts producing SafeHouse Amsterdam (out 2025) and co-hosting, The Wobbly Middle.

What happens when one of the most influential woman in the City resigns at the top of her game? Dame Helena Morrissey stunned the financial world when she stepped down as CEO of Newton Asset Management at 50 — without a fully formed plan. In this compelling episode, Helena opens up about the unfinished business that drove her forward; and how she learned to embrace discomfort as she forged a new path. As one of the most prominent advocates for equal pay and opportunity, Helena also sets out her powerful vision for getting more mid-career women into investment roles. Listen in to hear how she’s making an impact yet again, transforming the future of women in finance. New episodes of The Wobble Middle are released fortnightly. For additional insights, read The Wobbly Middle on Substack. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook @thewobblymiddle. https://thewobblymiddle.substack.comIf you are in the wobbly middle of your career, please share your story with us via our socials or email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear what’s inspiring you or if you have a question for us - and if you're out the other side, please let us know how you got there!About the hosts:Susannah de Jager is podcasting in Oxford, consulting to start-ups and occasionally advising on scale-up capital having left her role as CEO of a boutique asset manager and asked "what next?”. Oh, and she’s moving country with her husband and two young children imminently. To say that she’s in The Wobbly Middle would be an understatement. This podcast is for her and for all those like her.Patsy Day is a lawyer on a break. She has worked on all things IP from anti-counterfeiting to publishing and from London to Ho Chi Minh City and back again. Patsy lives in Oxford and is currently immersed in podcasts producing SafeHouse Amsterdam (out 2025) and co-hosting The Wobbly Middle.